Summer To-Do List

At the beginning of the summer we made a list of things we wanted to do over the summer. We have accomplished some, like number 8 ;) and others hopefully will be finished in the next month before the girls start school. They start earlier this year, starting 11th and 7th grades a month from yesterday.

1. Visits to the two local pools
2. Library visits/reading program (check)
3. Local metro park that is special to our family (check)
4. Zoo (check)
5. eat outside at Sonic {this is a restaurant that has drive-up, like the old A&W restaurants}
6. Kids cooking/cooking as a family (we've done this once, I'm hoping much more before school...)
7. Get ice cream from the ice cream truck {this one might not be accomplished. We used to have a truck that stopped almost every summer night, but it hasn't been by at all this summer... maybe gelatto at every stop in Italy made up for it? ;))
8. Italy Trip!! (check :)) Next we need to make sure it's all documented and scrapbooked before it's forgotten!
9. New local taco restaurant, as well as two other dinner spots {all three are within walking distance and we have walked to 2/3}
10. Camps for girls {our youngest has done basketball and our oldest is going to her cross country camp early August}
11. Write letters to family and friends
12. cookout for my husband's company {on the calendar for this weekend}
13. Family basketball/knockout tournament {a game where you try to score before the person in front of you in line, it's fun! :)}
14. Church lifegroup cookout at our house (check, the weekend before we left)
15. Jeni's ice cream trip {Jeni's is ice cream made with local ingredients-very yummy, still need to make the trip...}
16. Sleepovers {each girl has a friend/two over, family-just us four in the basement, and the girls have their local cousins over}
17. Art museum {Although the girls said they just had two weeks of "art" experience... that may have to wait until right before school starts ;)}
18. Topiary Park {There is a local park full of unique topiaries, and we've never been there}
19. Youngest daughter wanted to: practice basketball, soccer, sew and write, begin stories. She has completed all.
20. Camping in our camper {We still need to pick some dates... our calender is getting more full as I type this list! :)}
21. Relax, sleep in, stay up late (check)
22. Eat outside (check)
23. Movie nights (we saw X-Men First Class right after school was out and we hope to see Harry Potter tonight)
24. My goals: ride my bike more-I have, run-I have/ran 6 on Saturday/am training for the half-marathon, read-I have including finishing the latest Jan Karon book while on our trip, work more with camera-of course I did that on our trip, and garden-I have gardened and we are getting lettuce, green beans, zucchini, and strawberries, too! So, all of these are (check)
25. Sit on our new front porch and listen to the rain (check)
26. Local Farmer's Market
27. Bike to Farmer's Market and Library
28. Create a place to capture gratitude, and get back to doing it regularly
29. Enjoy homemade ice cream {hmmm, my list is going to make me fat! ;)}
30. Watch less T.V., unplug from electronics (check-it helped that tv for the last two weeks has been in Italian ;))
31. Walk around our local uptown, maybe attend their monthly evening activities, it's a nice town, but we haven't been up to it much lately.
32. Hike (6 local metroparks and dams)
33. Water balloon fight
34. Sprinkler fun
35. Bubbles {I have always loved bubbles :)}
36. Look at the stars, search for constellations
37. Family game night(s) {My youngest daughter and I love to play games, but my husband and older daughter have to be in the mood ;)}
38. Have a tea party/picnic day
39. Girls movie evening with my sis in law (check, we went to see Midnight in Paris, got our nails done and had dinner out-was a very fun evening!)
40. Go on walks: with or without dogs, after dark, evening or in the rain

Looks like less than half have been "checked off" my list. Lots to do in the month ahead! :) What has been on your list for this summer?